


Layday (Or: How Love Is Like An Unanswered Phone)

by The Key To Imagine (whiskeywit)



Category: The Beatles
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 13:46:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10439004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiskeywit/pseuds/The%20Key%20To%20Imagine
Summary: Title: Layday (Or: How Love Is Like An Unanswered Phone)Author: didzeaseRating: PGDisclaimer: I don't own the boys and never have previously either.A/N: I am on a hiatus. But alas, I posted a fic meme @ my journal and all went awry because tini_91 requested J/P ;) It's (to put it lightly) not a very cheerful ficlet, so don't read if you're desperate for fluffy lightness ;)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Backup of old fic originally posted to the Beatles community JohnheartPaul, currently residing on key_to_imagine, currently in locked status. Summary contains the header as is on the LJ post.
> 
> Originally posted 23 MARCH 2010.

Layday (Or: How Love Is Like An Unanswered Phone)  
  
  
It takes John's days, weeks, no _months_ to realise he is in love with Paul. And then it takes him even longer to try and say it to his friend.  
  
[...]  
  
 **Try #2**  
  
“Hey,” Paul greets John, when the teddy boy walks into the younger boys' room the first post-gig day.  
  
“Hi,” John greets back, shrugging off his leather jacket, and sitting on Paul's old wooden chair, kicking his legs onto the desk. “So um, about the performance yesterday-”   
  
“It was great, wunnit?” Paul says, smiling, turning to lay on his back. John nods, tries to say it , but Paul interrupts him before he has a chance to open his mouth. “Thought that girl that came up to me was hot, did you?” he winks at John.  
  
John swallows and nods. It's not what he planned on saying when he rang the bell, not what he intended to say the moment Mike let him in. It wasn't the line he repeated to himself when he walked up the stairs. Instead they go on about playing the guitar, and Paul mentions the girls a few times again.   
  
John doesn't listen to him. He is only aware of how he has failed, again.  
  
[...]   
  
**Try #7**  
  
“Don't you think it looks silly?” John asks, pulling worriedly at his new haircut. Paul stands in front of John, and pulls at the auburn mop as well. Then he pats at John's cheeks with both his hands, smiles, and lets go.  
  
“It's fine, John,” Paul says, still close enough for John to reach out and touch him. To lean forwards and kiss him, declaring love.  
  
He doesn't. Paul walks away, and the moment is lost on them.  
  
[...]  
  
 **Try #15**  
  
“Lads!” John shouts when he walks into the hotel room, to find only Paul. “Oh, it's you,” he says, “did you hear about us yet?”  
  
“Hear what?” Paul asks, looking up from his guitar. “That we are great together?” he huffs out a laugh, “because I've been told that a million times the past couple of years.”  
  
And yeah, it is an opportunity but John ignores it, the pain in his chest. Instead he says, “no, we have a number 1 hit again!” Paul spontaneously hugs him at this news, and John is slightly overwhelmed. He pushes Paul back and mutters 'queer'.   
  
Paul laughs amicably.  
  
[...]  
  
 **Try #30**  
  
“John,” Paul says, a girl hanging off his arm, giggling madly and John wonders if she is legal, “this is...”  
  
“I know who she is, Paul,” he replies, no, _snorts_. The relationship between Paul and Jane hasn't been good this last year, and Paul brings his mistresses to John so he can check them out. “I know what she is,” he clarifies himself. Paul knows what that means.  
  
“Oh?” Paul says. “No good, she's then?” John looks up at his friend, meeting an annoyed face. “I thought we were mates, John,” he says. Then he stalks away.  
  
John turns his head away and lets it pass in silence.  
  
[...]  
  
 **Try #39**  
  
“This is Yoko,” John introduces her to Paul.  
  
“Hi, Yoko,” Paul says, glaring at the Japanese woman.  
  
“Pleased to meet you,” Yoko says in her stuttering English. “I heard so many about you.”  
  
Paul smiles, tightly. John wants to shout, wants to tell Paul he'll always be the one for Paul, tell he loves Paul.  
  
He doesn't. It is a last-second decision.  
  
[...]  
  
 **Try #51**  
  
John writes Jealous Guy. He hopes it gets the message across to Paul, but it never makes it. Their row rages on.  
  
[...]  
  
 **Try #60**  
  
The Double Fantasy sessions are coming to an end, and John tries to call Paul. He has been unavailable, out of reach to anybody it seems (except that John knows that George and the bassist have been speaking in the mean time).   
  
This time, too, the line goes dead before John manages contact.  
  
[...]  
  
Less than a month later, John finds himself laying on the concrete paths of New York City. He feels the blood slowly pool around him and decides, finally, finally, _at last_ , to give up trying.  
  
  
There is nothing you can do that can't be done. And John finds he _can't_ do it.


End file.
